Weakness
by Anna Fujioka
Summary: [ Levi x OC ] Before Titan chaos struck, both Levi and his close friend, Odessa, participated in criminal activity in the underground tunnels. Suddenly, a commander demands Levi's presence as a soldier, but he must undergo training to be part of the Trainees squad along with Odessa as they strengthen their relationship.
1. Found

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin except for my OC and the plot written in **

**this fan fiction. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Note: The story takes place in the **_**past, **_**then to the future. **

Eren tugged the hem of my dress endlessly, desperately trying to pry some information out of me. I slung my basket of firewood over my arm, purposely bashing Eren in the head. He stumbled back, gritting his teeth and glaring at me with a stubborn determination. Simply, I rolled my eyes.

"Please, please, tell me!" Eren whined.

"Tell you _what?_"

"About Levi! And his awesomeness!" Apparently, I don't think there's anything interesting about Levi. Except that he stares at me all the time with those blank eyes, and I do so back at him.

"No." I continued to walk through the crowd, knowing that Eren was trailing behind me. Will the kid ever stop?

The number of passersby thickened, and the tunnel entrance was just a few blocks away. I tightened my grip around my basket and swiftly weaved through the crowd, intimidating a few and shoving some. Eren's squealing pleads faded into the market's booming atmosphere.

I sighed in relief, finally released from the toddler's constant begging. My maroon shawl clung to my damp hair and pulled the black tendrils out of my messy ponytail. The tunnel came into view and I ran quickly into the darkness.

Grumbling peasants trudged through the decaying ground while wailing priests held open Bibles, screaming something about the crumbling walls. They need to shut their traps so I can have my peace and quiet. And someone needs to scrape off the mold around here. It is _awfully _dirty.

The cart to Levi's hangout lurked ominously behind the ticket booth for a boat ride. Looking around, I dove into the blackness and spotted the familiar hunched man by the cart. I tossed him a bag of coins before sitting in the cart. The wheels moaned and whistled down the wooden tracks, which pissed me off quite a bit.

_Next time, I'm purchasing oil in the market. Without that kid._

Droplets of water echoed in the narrow tunnel, hitting my head every few seconds. In front of me, the hunched man pulled the handle of the cart, leading me toward a glowing light in the left room a few feet away. The cart halted and I gathered my firewood, hopping out of the cheap vehicle and entered the room.

Levi sat on a chair, resting his legs up on the table with a steaming mug on his left hand. His ashen eyes looked up to me and back at the pile of papers on his desk. I placed the basket of firewood in a large crate and strolled over to Levi. Taking a seat, I looked down, arms folded.

I was used to the serene silence that befell over both of us often. Levi didn't shoo me away like he did with his other friends. He just sat there, allowing me in his presence. There was nothing special between us. Just that he was the boss, and I was the small friend he had.

"Some commander demanded me to be some captain." I looked up with no reaction on my face. "And I have to go through all this boring training." A yawn escaped his lips.

"I have heard rumors about Titans heading our way," I added. Levi stared at me with a blank expression, as usual. "But it's impossible." I quickly added.

Levi unexpectedly brushed his fingers over mine, interlacing them. He exhaled deeply and kept his eyes trained on the ground.

"If I'm going, you're coming with me." Any girl would blush like an idiot when they hear those words come from Levi's lips. I won't.

"Okay," I whispered. He let go and swore under his breath, dropping his head onto the edge of the table with a loud thud.

"We have to fucking start in a month."

"So be it." Levi looked up at me, a faded bruise forming on his broad forehead. I held in my laugh and took out my embroidered handkerchief, dampening it in a bucket of cold water that stood alone on the side of Levi's desk. Then I gently rubbed it on his small injury. Levi winced.

I folded the handkerchief and placed it inside my breast pocket. The door closed automatically, creaking eerily until the lock clicked into place. Levi got up from his chair and beckoned me to follow him to his bed. My face reddened and I placed my boots by the doorstep and climbed into the comfy blankets.

Levi lied down next to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. In that moment, I pondered if we were in a relationship. Our bodies were pressed together, warming me up comfortably.

"Mmm...something wrong…?" Levi murmured, his hot breath caressing my neck.

"Nothing…" I replied, falling asleep fast.

**So…did you like the chapter? Feel free to follow/favorite this story and review it! I've been obsessed with the character Levi from Shingeki no Kyojin. Wow... (=.=)"**


	2. The Day

**One month later…**

Keith barked at each soldier, cursing louder than a honking foghorn. Each one shook with fear, their faces grim when facing the "Rite of Passage". He spat at them, head-butted one, and even frightened one soldier with such tremendous power, that he requested to be a dropout.

Once the first squad was done, Keith marched over to me as I saluted, my balled fist covering my pounding heart. His imposing eyes roamed over my stiff pose.

"_Who the fuck are you?" _

"Odessa Yaletz."

"_Why the fuck are you here?!"_

"To protect my hometown Shiganshina from the incoming Titans." Keith eyed me warily, the dark circles adding more ferocity to his eyes.

"_Who fucking told you about those damn Titans?!" _Keith roared.

"Rumors, sir." My calm state amused him, judging by the slight curve on his lips. Keith attempted another way to get some emotion out of me by grabbing my collar and leaning into my face. A hint of alcohol lingered from his chapped lips.

"_Do you fucking believe in them, soldier?"_

"I have to be aware of my surroundings, sir. It's dangerous to think you are safe." Those were the smartest words I had ever heard from my own mouth. Keith nodded in agreement and released me, moving on to the next soldier. I felt many pairs of eyes wander over me, questioning how I could handle the ferocity of Keith.

Tch, Keith ruined my collar, which I ironed profusely this morning.

I was lying face down on my lunch table, surrounded by curious soldiers. If I had a 3D MG, I would fly my way out of this hell. They pressured me with questions and compliments. Seriously, I don't know which one to reply to.

"Odie, how did you stand up to that old dude?" That certain question certainly pissed me off. I slammed my fist down on the table, silencing the crazy fans.

"Don't. Call me. _Odie." _The number of dunces shrunk in number and most of them left. Except for a brown-haired girl with black glasses. She plopped her elbow on the table and stared at me with clear fascination twinkling in her eyes.

"I'm Hanji Zoe! Wanna be friends?" This blunt introduction pisses me off even more.

"What makes you think I want to be your friend? Are you trying to trick me of some sort? I don't fall for that kind of shit in case you were wondering," I said. Hanji froze, her mouth still open. So far, Levi hadn't come to my aide, as expected. Surprisingly, Hanji kept her composure with her ass glued on the bench.

"You seem to be alone! Let's get to know each other and spend our remaining days together!" Was that a confession? I stiffened, and continued to stare at a portrait of Keith Shardis himself.

"Stop bothering her Hanji," a feminine voice said. Great, another addition to my list of annoyances.

"You two are bothering me," I muttered.

"Ignore Hanji, she usually gets all 'excited' when something weird happens." Like that moment where I was just acting normal in front of our trainer? "I'm Petra Ral, nice to meet you," she said as she sat next to me.

No point of trying to escape. "I'm Odessa Yaletz."

Petra genuinely smiled and signaled Hanji with her head to do the same, her amber hair . I spun around to find her doing an impression of an insane clown. A churning feeling lurched in my stomach, probably from the disturbing aura lurking from Hanji. The glint in her glasses added an effect to her horrifying appearance.

"Guys, guys…" I felt someone's hand lay on my shoulder, squeezing to reassure me. At this point, it didn't help at all.

"Get…your _fucking meaty hand _off my shoulder," I said, annunciating my words. The man withdrew, chuckling nervously. Hm, it was the soldier who was head butted by Keith. Pathetic. Even worse, my coat has been _wrinkled._

"O-Odessa!" Petra hissed. "Don't mess with Auruo!" Apparently, messing with people has become my hobby. My attacker spat on the floor and grabbed my collar, pulling me close to his ugly complexion.

"What did you call me?" Auruo asked slowly.

"If you reacted the first time, then you already heard it," I remarked. Auruo punched me right on the cheek, sending me against the brick wall. He crept close to me and yanked my hair, his mouth sneering in a haughty way.

"Don't mess with me again, Odie," Auruo said as he released me, walking back to his cackling friends. Son of a bitch.

Hanji rushed over to my side, pampering my bruised cheek with a used napkin. I didn't even bother to point out that her germs were going to invade the minor injury. She frowned apologetically and helped me up. Petra was still on the bench, gawking at me with her mouth agape.

I mentally made a decision to point my death look straight at Hanji to drive her away. And it worked as expected. She dove by Petra's side, clutching her arm with a steel grip. After that, I brushed the dirt off my ass, cringing at how much germs made their way into my clothes and my skin.

"Why the fuck are you scratching your ass?" the monotonous voice rumbled from Levi, who stood in front of me with a disapproving look. Everyone is dropping F-bombs lately. "And how did you get that bruise on your cheek?"

"Someone pushed me to the floor. Then punched me," I replied bluntly. Levi's expression darkened, but became more annoyed when the fan girls behind him fawned endlessly. He walked up to me and grabbed my hand, pulling me along with him outside. Angry screams erupted from inside the cabin as we walked to our designated rooms.

Levi's was across from my cabin to my dismay. It looks like we were going to be separated. I sighed.

"I'll sneak into your bed when everyone goes to sleep. Got that?" That suggestion frightened me a little. I nodded like a machine replying to a command. Levi blinked and saluted me before leaving me.

I saluted back, unaware of how flushed my face looked before Levi left.


	3. Combat

**I'm pretty much lazy in this chapter, so yeah. Just review and...yeah. Don't wanna type those long, long messages.**

I softly yawned and struggled to open my crusted eyes. My blurry vision started to clear as I adjusted to morning light. That when I saw two figures hovering over me, their faces starting to become familiar. Hanji and Petra? Oh, Levi was lying next to me with his arm wrapped around my waist. I shot up from my bed, causing Levi to roll away enough room for me to move in.

"Levi," I said, roughly shaking his shoulders. Levi grumbled something and sat up, his slitted eyes bloodshot with dark circles running around them. My hypothesis was correct, Levi isn't really a morning person.

I beckoned both Hanji and Petra to climb down the bunk bed for Levi to exit. He tossed the blanket aside, revealing his ripped muscles and the six pack running down his abdomen. First thought, sexy as hell. Then Levi climbed down the bunk ladder and exited the girl's cabin.

Embarrassed, I rummaged through my trunk for my casual attire and threw them on, tightened the black buckles all over my body, slung on a leather coat, and finally a pair of matching boots. Down below, I heard a whistle of approval, probably from spotting Levi's finest...yeah.

Then I climbed down the bunk bed ladder to find Petra with her face red and Hanji wiggling her eyebrows teasingly. My usual death look took them aback and I brushed by them, marching off to today's training.

Balancing on aptitude elevation.

"_Get the fuck on those hooks, motherfucker!_" Keith barked furiously. I watched in disapproval as each struggling soldier failed to balance on two simple hooks. Some dangled upside down in failure, while others hovered in the air effortlessly. Congratulations to them.

"_You're next, you little smart mouth!_" I nodded and walked over to the two soliders who assisted in strapping the . Keith pursed his dry lips together and grunted. In a few minutes, I was hoisted into the air, the tips of my toes leaving the ground.

My audience stared at me in awe, wide-eyed and mouths shaped like O's. Like a small searching game, I squinted and scanned over the moose brown crowd. Petra and Hanji hung in the rear end of the crowd, while Levi was probably hanging the air like a doll. Like what I'm currently doing right now.

Something gleaming in the sun caught my attention, stinging my eyes. I whipped my head towards the object that hung around a soldier's neck. Quite the handsome one, his complexion consisting of smooth blonde hair and a shaved lower section similiar to Levi's, thick eyebrows, soft blue eyes, smooth jawline, and toned cheeks. Healthy and fit.

I was lowered down to the ground and unbuckled myself from the tall machinery. Behind me were unsuccessful whispers, probably about me or some good gossip. The soldier whom I observed came up to me, probably his turn. It looks like I could use a few more friends.

"Hi," I whispered, his attention drawn to me.

"Hey." Our friendship has begun with small greetings, fantastic. As soon as I started entering the crowd, soldiers began to throw me compliments, jealous remarks, and even one decided to flirt with me. I merged deeper into the sea of soldiers, and finally spotted Petra sitting on a bench. Where was Hanji?

I walked over to Petra and sat down next to her. She wore a stern look scross her face, eyeing me with reasonable suspicion. Based on what happened this morning.

"So," Petra started.

"It's about Levi who happened to be in my bed, no, we did not have sex," I said, reading her mind. She blinked in shock, surprised that I knew what she was about to say.

"He snuck into my bed, didn't like the guys in his cabin. Dirty. He's a clean freak. Like me," I continued. That should clarify my situation, since Petra sighed in relief. Ah, another fan girl. Whatver, let her take him. Hanji came back with drool running down her chin unattractively.

"What...happened?" Petra and I asked simultaneously. We jinxed each other, resulting in my loss.

"_Ah, you want to knoow?_" Hanji drawled. "They got Titan _duuumies..._But they're not _reeeal..._"

"I'm going to go and get a drink of water," I interrupted, shooting up from my bench and marching away, grumbling about how many germs could be absorbed into Hanji's skin. Like a fool, I rammed into a fellow soldier.

"We meet again." I looked up to find the same man whom I met earlier. Well, a fine man close up. Fresh, clean, and a hint of lemon. I approve of his clean hygiene.

_Yes. We meet again._

"I was gonna get a drink. Wanna come?"

"Sure."

We strolled together across the courtyard, searching for the water tank. After all, we're still getting accustomed to the place. It started to become ridiculous, because the water tank was clearly behind us. And we thought it was the gasoline station for the gas tanks.

"I feel so dumb now," I muttered.

"We both are," he added. He took out a small canteen while I did the same, filling it up to the brim. Then we both thirstily gulped the whole container, cold water trailing down my chin. Ugh.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Odessa Yaletz."

"Irvin Smith."

I shook his large hand and nodded him a goodbye before leaving him alone in the middle of the invading crowd. Through the thick number of people, I spotted the bench where I left Petra and Hanji to their "TItan business". It was empty. Where had they gone?

Hm. I was used to being alone and all, but having my friends _ditch _me is just ludicrous! Searching for Levi would be pointless, considering the number of men who had the same ebony hair as him. Even the shaved section below that hunk of hair! I have a feeling they're all trying to imitate the "cool guy".

But Levi's short, which is an advantage to my search! No, they're all about his height.

165 cm? 160 cm? 162 cm?

Sighing miserably, I maneuvered through the horde of nuisances to the front, beginning my next training.

"_Listen up you little shitheads!_" Everyone stiffened to his command, much to Keith's amusement. "_We're gonna do hand-to-hand combat. If you don't like it, get the fuck out!_" I simply cracked my neck, ready for my victim.

Each of us lined up in straight rows, our right hand over our heart, and the other on our back. Keith rapidly pointed the soldier to their partner, barking furiously to everyone. I closed my eyes as I heard his pounding foosteps approach me. He was right in front me, which was quite obvious since the lingering scent of alcohol reached my nostrils. I crinkled my nose.

"_You. To Auruo Bossard right now!_" Shut up, already. Keith pointed a gnarly finger to my left, right where Auruo was standing. I groaned inwardly and marched to Auruo, his usual haughty grin directed to me.

We both shook hands, his firm and practically trying to crush mine. Auruo cracked his neck, exhibiting his "muscles". I stood in my fighting position, my fists ready to land on Auruo's annoying sneer. He made the first move, deciding to jab me in the stomach. I quickly whipped to the side, my leg slamming against Auruo's sorry back.

Auruo wheezed and held his back with care. He whipped towards me, a pissed expression on his face. Arrogantly, he sprinted towards me with a shaking fist. Unfortunately I was too late to dodge, his knuckles crashing against my cheekbone. Another hit slammed onto my neck, smashing me on the ground.

My opponent placed his combat boots on my stomach, jumping on me relentlessly with a victorious grin smacked on his face. I hacked a couple of times, pretending to be the loser of our little game. He didn't expect it.

I grabbed him at the ankle and flung him to the side, quickly stumbling onto my feet. Auruo squealed and screamed my name, charging at me with fast speed. Like an idiot, he _missed _and went flying into another soldier.

The two began to bicker, their faces scrunching in determination. Hm, did Auruo forget about our little match? I used this chance to wrap my arms over his neck (making _us _look like a couple.), then attempted a light strangle. Auruo gagged and wheezed, begging me to release and accepted defeat.

I released him, allowing him to run off and whine to his mother. If she was here. Or alive.

"_Odessa! Odessa, will you fucking come here for another fucking partner?!_" Keith _really _needs to lay off the curses. I rushed over by his side, not flinching from the revolting spit flying from his mouth.

"_Holy shit..."_

_"Did you see..?!"_

_"...defeated like thirty of us!..."_

I wanted to chop off their tongues and stuff it down their forever-talking throat. The talking and talking was absolutely _unbearable _to my bleeding ears and I have never been tortured this much ever. In my _life._

Keith stared at me with an unreadable expression, funny, since both of us were sharing that same look. Dark circles, muddy brown eyes, and that squinting look glued to our faces. I love this _'relationship' _that shared. That's why we get along well.

"_Soldier!" _I straightened my back and automatically saluted to Keith, ready for his next order. "You last opponent will actually be _tough_ this time." Don't laugh, Odessa. No wait. I never laugh. Funny.

"_Rivaille._" Not funny, but hilarious. I'm going to lose in this one.

"It's _Levi._" I spun around to see Levi with his arms folded, a stone look plastered across his face. We exchanged the same boring looks and got into our fighting positions. A spacious circle was formed around for us to fight in. Was it _that _interesting?

Levi and I returned unreadable looks, sending an undecipherable message at the same time.

_This is so boring._


	4. Beginning

**Sorry for the late update! It might seem a bit rushed because I took a break from writing for school, so yeah... And one more thing, this will be the last chapter that will take place in the past. Hooray. Now read.**

* * *

I grinded my teeth together, clenching my jaws while menacingly narrowing my eyes at Levi. He returned the look, digging the heels of his boots into the rocky soil. My fight position froze still, waiting for my opponent's next move. Levi's glower gave me an irritating feeling, nothing but irate. Keith stood at the side, his hollow eyes darting at both of us at even the slightest hint of movement. A small curve formed on the edges of his lips.

"_Go!_"

The dancing rhythm of our feet pounded on the ground, fists and open palms maneuvering each other with fluid movements. Wow's reverberated from the surrounding soldiers, their faces fascinated and their attention engrossed in our fight. A grunt escaped my lips, following with an unexpected spit from Levi. We exchanged invisible glances and continued to fight, our fists slamming into each other with fierce strengths.

My leg swept just past his ankles, unfortunately missing when Levi jumped just in time. Adrenaline rushed with a fast pace, my heart thumping and thudding against my chest. Soon, our combat became a blur to others, their eyes unable to see what we done. Faded colors of leather and white collide together, sweat collecting on our necks.

The final result exhibited our show when Levi successfully achieved the uppercut right under my chin. I gasped and held my jaw, rubbing it pathetically in front of all of these soldiers. Stomping footsteps ran furiously toward my direction and I straightened my posture. That familiar scent of cologne lingered near my nose, crinkling it in slight disgust.

"_What are you doing?!_" Keith barked.

I refrained from rolling my eyes. "Hand-to-hand combat."

"_Why did you stop?!_"

"_Weakness._"

"_We do not show weakness in the battlefield! We do not show weakness in front of those Titans! We, do not, show weakness, at anyone!_" His shrieking pitch plagued my sensitive ears. As he continued to roar at me with that lion mouth of his, I watched Levi exit our battle.

Before he entered the flood of soldiers, he turned to me and mouthed the word, _pathetic_. I swallowed the thick lump in my throat.

"_Is, that, clear, soldier?!_"

"Yes," I said, saluting to him.

Strange, it was peculiar how Keith didn't give at least one curse word at my face. Or rather, my back. Very peculiar.

Snickers and giggles were murmured in the crowd, spreading to each soldier like an epidemic. It infuriated me to be so humiliated in front of all these nuisances. I shook the thought out of my head and spat on the ground to release my anger. Hm, I've defeated practically most of everyone, but who was left?

A strong hand placed itself on my shoulder in a courteous gesture. I shuddered at the thought of last night when Auruo dared to wrinkle my leather coat. Hoping it was another soldier, I turned to find Erwin again, a genuine smile carved on his pleasant lips. Tch, I could feel the heat rising up to my cheeks.

"Are you offering to fight, Mr. Smith?" I asked in a formal manner.

Erwin chuckled. "What's with the formalities, Ms. Yaletz?" I merely squinted my shadowing eyes.

"Whatever." I switched into my normal fighting stance, and so did Erwin. His outstretched palms faced me, ready to take hold of whatever he could. My fingers beckoned for him to near closer, and so we attacked each other. Swift and silently.

We both ended up panting and gasping for air, clutching out beating chests that rapidly thudded with a quick beat. Small trickles of sweat slided down Erwin's damp cheeks, his mouth exhaling warm fogs. A playful grin still took place on his lips, aiming at me as if it this was a tough challenge.

_It wasn't, _I thought. Licking my cracked lips, I charged at Erwin with a straightforward punch but missed when he dodged to the left. Smirking, I swung my hand to his neck, knocking him to the ground. Writhing, Erwin flinched and massaged his neck then raised a curious eyebrow at my direction. I shrugged and helped him up to his feet.

Brushing the dust off his palms, Erwin gave me small compliments and a curt nod before leaving to battle others. To my surprise, my lip jutted out slightly and I frowned, knowing I had no opponents left. Except for Hanji. While pairs of soldiers fought each other with their "superior" strength, I was the lone bee in this buzzing hive. I hate using references about bees.

My ebony cascades of hair rolled around my shoulders, adding more sweltering heat. I cursed to myself, knowing that I should've brought hair ties on a hot day. Rubbing my drenched neck, I cringed at the amount of sweat collected on my palm, and how I could wipe it off. Certainly not on my uniform and certainly _not _other uniforms. A handkerchief, a napkin, exactly what I need!

Fussing over something as ludicrous as this is so ridiculous for someone like me, including Levi. I shook my head in disappointment to myself, oblivious to the stares emitting from others. Searching around the crowd for a familiar brown ponytail, it seemed that _many _decided to tie their hair up today. My head shook in disappointment of myself.

* * *

"How did you do that?!"

"Are you hiding something?!"

"Odie, wanna sit with us?"

"No, over here!"

I was only sitting in the 'cafeteria' to enjoy a delicious meal with myself until _they _came along and crowded around my personal space. Their revolting stench reached my nose and cleared my throat, causing them to only scoot away a few feet away. But they didn't notice the sullen look across my face and continued to pester me with countless questions that could blast my bloody head open.

A gentle nudge caught my attention and I stiffly turned to a happy Hanji, who was stuffing a large potato into her mouth. Her hazelnut eyes darted to the opposite side of the table, facing Petra. Her amber curls kissed the leather collar wrapped around her neck. She sliced a thick slab of meat and nibbled each bite carefully while eyeing their curious expressions.

Petra stopped mid-bite, and cleared her throat loud enough for my 'fans' to hear. Their heads swerved to her direction, earning an equal amount of pissed off aura that I gave them earlier. The number of soldiers lessened and left only one person; Auruo Bossard. His smug expression set firm across those ugly lips of his, stretching all the way to his crusted cheeks. I could almost vomit at the sight of his skin condition.

"What?" I asked gruffly, sipping the scalding tea.

"I'm impressed with your skills. That's all." I squinted directly towards that Bossard, his expression now content now that he caught me off guard. My narrow eyes icily glared down to that open throat of his.

"Well, thanks."

"We're going to get along just fine." I paused from pouring another refreshing drink.

"And what makes you think that?" Auruo shrugged and shot a wagging tongue at me before hopping off to his lunch group. Hanji and Petra exchanged peculiar glanced before turning back to Auruo's direction, their faces in awe and confusion. I simply gulped the damn tea.

A loaf of bread landed on my plate, and I looked up to find Erwin, who passed by before I could thank him. Hanji exclaimed an "eh?!" and shoved another potato up her mouth. Petra shrugged and returned to her juicy steak, allowing me to wonder how she could digest that thing.

* * *

That was how life was at training for the Recon Corps.

My goal to endure several exercises along with Rivaille, Erwin, Hanji, Petra, and surprisingly, _Auruo, _became a success and we became one of the top ten. A sigh of relief had fled from me, receiving surprised glances from many of my allies; no, _friends. _I never shown that secret smile whenever something good has happened. Because nothing in this cruel reality is ever good.

All of us became the 93rd Trainees Squad. The amount of loss was no bigger than a hundred, and we became the most powerful number of soldiers to defeat a vast number of those titans. Though defeating titans was more of a hobby, I began to become accustomed to it and was given the nickname, "Dancing Titan". My murdering intent and sadistic personality frightened most future soldiers, and they kept their distance to my pleasure.

But some incidents had given me great depression, as Erwin left to become the top commander of the Scouting Legion, taking Levi with him to be the captain and along with Hanji. It dawned on me that they weren't going to leave me behind, as Erwin assigned me to become Captain Yaletz. Petra sobbed on that miserable day, ripping on our forest capes and tearing at our sleeves. She was one of the unfortunate who were assigned to a different group of the Recon Corps.

I failed to comfort her, but Levi didn't.

His strong arms embraced around her tiny figure, his hands clasped around her waist. A tinge of jealousy ran across my mind, but I shoved it away, knowing that this was my friend. Petra beneath his chest and hugged him back, wrinkling the symbol of the Scouting Legion. I swallowed at the sight of Levi kissing her flushed cheek with such passion. Audible sobs choked from Petra, and she buried her face into his shoulder.

As Levi released her, his posture became stiff and almost...vulnerable. Those dark orbs dilated with a blank and foreign message, but I could interpret it in no time.

Levi had developed strong feelings for Petra, and finally revealed them as we began to leave for our first expedition.

I mounted on my Abtenauer and grasped the leather reins, stroking the horse's velvet mane before the gates screamed, signaling our leave. A blurred picture of a young boy crossed my mind, and I froze on the saddle.

Why would I think of him now?

I chuckled humorously, and whipped the reins with furiosity. "Ya's!" erupted everywhere, and the horse neighed, galloping into titan territory. The safe atmosphere from the Shinganshina District and Wall Maria left me, a dangerous feeling invading my body and mind.

_Eren would be safe, _I told myself.

_Right?_


	5. Curiosity

**Hello again! I hope this chapter won't disappoint you! It's going to have a **_**lot **_**more action in it, so enjoy the read! c:**

* * *

**Year 845**

_Hiss!_

_Clang!_

_Tmp! Tmp! Tmp!_

Soaring through the air, I effortlessly sliced across the nape of another, tumbling Titans falling in an orderly sequence behind me. Breaking off the blades, I slammed my hilt into more spares and landed on the roof of an abandoned home, gas hissing behind me with its foul stench lingering around the atmosphere. Splatters of blood ran across my clothes, disappearing as the smoke evaporated into the air.

"Ten down, a whole more to go," I muttered to myself.

A bloodcurdling scream shouted for help at my left. Not hesitating, I leaped into the air and activated my grappling hooks. They hissed like irritated snakes, latching onto massive buildings and historical architectures, and one to another. Nearing the 7-meter class, I examined its squatted body and tiny limbs. Between its fingers was a dangling soldier, desperation clear in his shrieking voice.

Raising my pair of blades, I twirled my body through the air and carved a clean cut across the Titan's neck, who dropped the soldier out of its grip. My hooks clung to a quiet gargoyle, allowing me to dive down to save the unfortunate from being crushed. His weight was not at all difficult to deal with, though it burdened me to have someone unconscious in one arm.

A tiled roof appeared to my relief, and I landed on the aging paint while being careful not to wake him up from his earlier encounter. Laying him down on the roof, I winced at the sight of his already gutted stomach. Blood seeped from his deep wounds, but the fact that he was alive remained on his sweating face.

"C-Captain…" I turned my attention to him and leaned closer, interlocking my fingers around his bloodied palm. A violent hacking followed, crimson liquid splashing across my cheeks. Red dripped down my chin, smearing onto my white blouse. His fingers trembled in mine, struggling to keep themselves in my grasp.

Pink foam dribbled down his chin, staining his tattered cape. I blinked and released his hand, a whimper emitting from the dying soldier. My fingers easily unhooked the forest green curtain, and I held it over his face, shading it from the terror and destruction these monsters have caused.

"What is this?" I asked, a sense of remorse in my voice. The soldier's eyes widened with recognition, and he smiled in an almost sheepishly way that gave radiance to his bold complexion. Nodding, he released his final cough before quietly going to sleep.

"Wings of freedom…"

"I'm...free…" His glowing eyes dimmed in an ever slow pace and the shaking motion in my palms lessened. The tensed figure became motionless, still as stone. Crying had never overcame me with this such power, but holding the feelings inside was difficult for me when it comes to dying comrades.

"Rest in peace, Noah Archenstein," I whispered, never mentioning his name earlier, for it could damage them when they know that soon their name would be forgotten.

"_Odessa!_" a voice of warning called out.

A giant hand slapped me from where I sat, sending me soaring over towering buildings. Planning to land on a flat surface, instead, my back slammed against a glass window. Sparks of shattering glass flew everywhere, stabbing my cheeks and torso. Grunting, I stumbled back to my feet, my palms holding the small remains of glass.

Blood, goddamn blood everywhere.

"What a mess this is…," I grumbled to myself, flinching each time I yanked out a small shard. Dark stains ran down my uniform, a mix of both human and titan. Steam drifted from the not-too-serious injuries, and I whipped my head towards all directions. No one should see this, or find out about it whatsoever. Still wary of my surroundings, my deep cuts and scrapes closed up, leaving only faded patches of light skin.

After checking around my body for other wounds and removing my coat along with my cape, I sighed in relief and wrapped my cape around my torso for the slightest hint of warmth. Crawling over to a pile of bookcases on my knees, the tiny shards of glass clung to me stubbornly. Hiding would be both dumb and smart for a person like me. One, there are roaming Titans surrounding me, but on the bright side, this building could be a stable defense.

I sucked in my breath when a 13 meter class passed by, the edges of its mouth sneering up to the point where it reached the bottom of the eyelids. Its ominous grin caused me to shiver and I curled up in the corner of these mucky books and crannies. "He" searched through various buildings, shoving its arm deep into each one to make sure there was a delicious meal waiting for them.

Not me.

It continued to search, but failed to find a single human to devour. Thought it stopped its human hunt, I didn't even take the chance to breathe a sigh of relief. My face was probably flushed from the exploding impact, an aching pain plagued my back, along with both of my numb arms and legs.

_Damn it, _I thought. _If I fight any further in this condition, it's going to worsen my chance to defeat this thing!_

_Funny. Since I'm one of them._

The thought of even transforming in this spot disgusted me, knowing that the whole squad was scattered across the town, slicing and stabbing the loitering Titans. I almost choked on the lump in my throat when the Titan turned to my direction, its grin widening for the happiness of finally finding a tasty meal. Keeping my face impassive, I struggled to stand up once more, my legs wobbling in place. Placing my trembling hands around the leather-gripped hilts, I reapplied another set of blades and set them towards between the Titan's globe-like eyes.

"See that spot where I'm pointing at?" I whispered, dangling the blade from my hand as if it was a mere feather. "I'm going to run this straight right there, but it won't kill you, will it?" The Titan opened its mouth, sticky saliva clinging to its platinum white teeth. Traces of human remains glued to its fat tongue, intestines, tattered uniforms, and even strands of hair.

"But, I'm going to dig my blade all the way inside that thick head of yours, and run it all the way down to that beautiful nape of yours. It wouldn't hurt for someone like you, right?" I questioned, taunting it successfully.

"Problem is, that it's going to be real messy." I whispered, before charging to the right of the Titan, shooting my right hook to another building to pull myself out of, what I think, was the library. My body swung gracefully through the cool breeze as I boosted my body with hissing gasoline, pushing me towards the Titan which turned to face me. It again unfolded its mouth, as if I was heading inside its wet caverns.

I whirled my arms up and launched both of my blades at the Titan's eyes, a common technique I figured to be triumphant in most situations. Roaring in absolute agony, it grabbed both of its blood-drenched eye sockets. A surge of satisfaction ran through my head, the proof clearly in the sharp gaze of my onyx eyes. Fast to replace both of my blades, I whipped out another pair and rammed them deep inside its forehead, like I taunted just earlier.

With all my willpower, I clenched my teeth and ran my blades down its abnormally rigid skull, blood shooting everywhere. Certainly I could've thought of a simpler strategy, but this one satisfied me to my heart's content. Finishing my last move, the blades finally reached his neck and steam hissed with a sharp sound.

Leaping off of its head, I collided against a straw roof, the yellow wisps of straw prickling my skin. At this rate, I would look like a psychopathic Titan killer. Which I am, actually. Testing my limbs, none of them were cracked or broken surprisingly. Sighing in consolation, I hacked a few times, staining my blouse with more red than it already had.

"Do you...think he heard everything?" a familiar voice asked.

"Yes. Of course he would. Look, he's...sleeping so peacefully," another voice replied back.

I hastily wiped the morning crust away from my eyes and gazed below at two figures, with a still being between both of them. Sharply taking in a breath, I recognized the draping black hair and those noticeable amber curls.

Levi and Petra.

That scene cued the moment where a river of envy flooded across my mind, destroying everything in its path and leaving nothing behind. Swallowing, I leaped down to the stone pavement, almost risking an injury on both of my legs. Their heads turned to me, both surprised and shocked at the sight of my messy figure.

"What happened?!" Petra gasped, rushing over to me. She fussed over the crusted blood on my clothes and paid most attention to my naturally bland skin.

"How did you get this much blood...if you don't have any injuries?"

"I-"

The sound of clicking hooves and neighing horses interrupted my lying explanation as Erwin and five other soldiers trailed behind him. His cape fluttered behind him majestically, giving him the hero look. His inscrutable face no longer held that same gentle smile on the day we somehow met. "We are going to retreat." Levi raised an eyebrow.

"There are a few more around here."

"All are gathering up north," Erwin replied to Levi's statement. Widening his eyes a bit, Levi curtly nodded and beckoned for a horse. A fellow soldier appeared behind Erwin and handed a set of three reins to Levi, Petra, and I.

"Why?" I asked, a dubious tone obvious in my voice.

"We are called to assist Pixis, and the 'stupid' plan he supposedly made that _cannot _backfire."

A sense of curiosity ran across my thoughts, tempting me to pry more from Erwin. But of course, he'd never release something _that _confidential.


	6. Reunited

A/N) : I am extremely sorry I haven't updated this already! Goosh, all of you people out there, you don't know how much regret is inside my belly. So I updated. HOORAY.

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Horseshoes clattered and clicked against the remains of the stone pavements. Neighs whipped from each direction, my ebony strands distracting my motives. My grip around the reins tightened as we reached the massive-sized wall. The gaping hole that couldn't be sealed from before, was now blocked by a seemingly large boulder from the opposite side. Relief rushed through my blood and I relaxed my tense figure.

"Help!"

"We….get him….trapped!"

Cries for help and assistance rang to my ears, and I stabbed the spurs into my horse's ribs to gain more momentum. He neighed and charged past the parade behind me. Erwin's commands and Levi's demanded attention was silent to my deafened ears.

Those...voices…

There was just a familiar ring to it.

Curling my toes in the tight leather soles, I readied my 3D Maneuver Gear and prepared the gas tanks. Releasing my hold from the reins, my feet rose from its position and settled on the horse saddle. Standing atop the dedicated creature, I silently whispered thanks to the beautiful skies before launching from my announced position.

Flying in the air, the grappling hooks aimed at the walls and made a clean cut through the bricks. Arching my back, I sighed happily despite the destruction and havoc surrounding me. My cape whipped and slapped my back at crazy rates. As soon as I was nearing the familiar wall, I flew to its summit and expertly landed on the brick wall. The shouts from below rose to furious screams, nearing me each second. Their own equipment was helping them. I wasn't going to let that happen so easily.

Three Titans had remained, all towering over a shadowy pile of unknown material. According to my keen vision, there were but only three small figures squirming and wriggling out of some sort of...thing. One of their heads popped up, a blonde whose complexion was a mix between gratefulness and fear. His lips were moving desperately. He was asking me for help. I widened my eyes and surveyed the area; no soldiers in sight. The hell?

Those pathetic…

About to jump off the wall, I was deterred from rescuing those damned soldiers when a strong hand seized my arm, tightening its hold around it. Flinching, I turned and scowled at Erwin, whose shallow breathing became hoarse and husky as he began to talk. "You were to obey our orders, soldier." Never, had he even addressed me in that sort of way.

"They are in danger," I hissed. Worry crossed over his eyes, but were replaced by the cold stare he gave to many who were below him; lowly, to him. Wrenching my arm free of his grip, I knew the consequences that would head my way and I jumped off the wall. His furious yells did not reach my ears.

Gently landing on the floor, I looked up to the three figures and paused at my footsteps. Such familiar faces… Their happy shouts confirmed my suspicions.

"Odessa!"

"Y-You're back!"

Armin. Mikasa.

...Eren?

He was lying in a heap of Titan muscle, his face etched with relaxation and strands of skin on his cheeks. Steam poured out of the muscle's pores, being dissipated into the air. What remained of the humongous figure was only the torso, arms sprawled out and stomped by past giants. How did he grow up so fast…?

I raced toward him and pushed Mikasa aside, her features more beautiful and prominent than before. Kissing her forehead, I slapped Armin on the shoulder, reminding him to man up. The corners of his eyes were welled with tears and I wiped them away with the heel of my palm. "How are you going to get him out?!" Mikasa screamed, a Titan heading our way.

Their cheeky smiles…

Digging my arm deep into the Titan muscle, I searched for Eren's hips and dug my fingers into the familiar touch of raw clothes and pried all of the skin off his body. Not awakening yet, I screamed an undecipherable curse while yanking him out. The goddamn-!

Finally free, I yelped as my back landed hard on the rocky ground with Eren's weight on top of me. How old was he...fifteen? Sixteen? Kids these days…

But the massive Titan had caught my attention much too early.

"O-Odessa…" Armin whimpered, grasping my shoulder and hiding behind me. Mikasa maintained her composure and swallowed nervously, clasping Eren's limp hand. Whipping out a blade-

The Titan fell with one strike. A silhouette zoomed by, cape flying and blades wielded with promising results. I warily watched my ally land on the Titan's neck, facing the beautiful sunset, but bitter view of mangled corpses. A scream erupted atop the wall, probably Hanji was squealing with glee at the number of experiments she could conduct on these monsters.

My eyes narrowed at the small figure atop the Titan corpse, who turned to us with his usual hollow eyes and that sour mouth of his. Not uttering a word, I watched the other two taken down by the others and glance worriedly at Eren. Still affected by the side effects from shifting to a Titan, I bore his weight on my shoulders and heaved his limp body over my back.

Authorities had arrived at the right moment, and a path of green smoke was shot from a gun; signifying the first win against the Titans. Soldiers crowded around me and seized Eren by the shoulders, yanking him off of me. I staggered and bumped against the humongous steaming corpse. Hanji was already down on the earth, her saliva dripping off her wagging tongue as she hungrily took in the "marvelous" view of Eren's Titan form.

I bit my tongue to keep from shouting warnings at Hanji, for I already disobeyed my team's wishes; and Erwin's. A hand nudged my arm and I turned to Mikasa, whose eyes were wide and haunting as she stared at me. Her ebony strands of hair brushed her nose and draped over her flushed cheeks. Something wasn't right. I didn't like that look.

"How did you get Eren out?" I pursed my lips.

"The muscle was burning hot. I couldn't touch it. How did you touch it?" I gave her a warning glare and tilted my head to Eren's direction, his arms arrested and seized behind his back. Fear washed over Mikasa's expression and she ran off to Eren along with Armin, giving me one last glance that told me she wasn't going to have nothing for an answer.

Hanji was also curious about my feat, and inched closer to me. As her ally from the past, I allowed her to damage my personal space; since I was already used to the fact. She knew that I wasn't up for interrogations. She knew it.

"How?"

That word haunted me for the rest of the day.


End file.
